What direction will you take with it?
You're starting off with a very low center of gravity, but pretty pedestrian chassis parts and a lot of weight. Can it be improved?
Sticky tires kinda miss the point of the car, but can you get hard-compound ones with stiff sidewalls that'll let the car handle well?
irish44j wrote:BoxheadTim wrote: Well, I for one think that saving gas is Grassroots...except "saving gas" and "motorsports" are diametrically-opposed concepts......
Not necessarily - my Elise S1 was superb on fuel on the road and still pretty good on the track.
...can you mod it enough to beat a $128K tesla in autocross?
what about at Bithlow?
can you do it with $10K or less of mods?
Using home made/modified components?
sent you a high-res version. Slightly modified to look a bit better IMO with the arrows going both ways for the commute
BoxheadTim wrote:irish44j wrote:Not necessarily - my Elise S1 was superb on fuel on the road and still pretty good on the track.BoxheadTim wrote: Well, I for one think that saving gas is Grassroots...except "saving gas" and "motorsports" are diametrically-opposed concepts......
what I meant is that if you REALLY wanted to use the least possible fuel, you wouldn't do motorsports AT ALL - or any other gratuitous, non-essential driving, for that matter.
but that would suck.
I think the overarching narrative might not so much be "Can we make a Volt faster" (perhaps turn it into a Kill-o-Volt? I just came up with that. No one can use it. It's mine). Anyway, I'mnot sure the entire point is to answer whether or not we can make a Volt faster, but to explore what alternative drivetrains mean to the future of high-performance, and how performance and economy will or won't coexist in this brave new world.
I chose a Volt as much because it's a lightning rod (no, that doesn't mean it can be charged with lightning, that's another myth) as it is a real car. The fact that my personal driving needs so parallel what it seems good at didn't hurt the decision, either.
jg
We had a Volt press car last week. I was driving it to work Thursday morning, and some dude at Burger King told me all about how my piece of "Obama crap" cost more to charge than to put gas in, caught on fire, broke down after 35 miles, and how most of them were being purchased "by Obama so he can guarantee the UAW vote."
LMFAO
Volts are sweet. Honestly, not many new cars make NEW cars appealing to me, but the Volt is one of them.
As for articles or mod ideas...
How bout shut up the nitwits who keep bringing up 50-mpg-mobiles from the 80s and smack some of them around with the Volt on a race and mpg competition. I'll volunteer my 85 crx hf, but it's not photogenic. Even compared to my decade old hybrid it's a POS and handles like dog E36 M3. I mean, i like it in it's own right, but if you compare it to a prius or insight or CRZ etc etc, holy crap is it AWFUL!!!!!1
Sounds good, I look forward to updates.
I think it will be good to hear the unvarnished truth about the Volt and how (if) it fits into an enthusiast's world. Push it hard. Let's see what it's got.
irish44j wrote:
Well, motorsports does have fuel saving strategies in endurance racing and in many other events, so fuel use mangement is an important part of racing.
And it'll be good to see real world results on the Volt from an enthusiasts POV.
Having a Volt in the hands of a knowledgeable, articulate person we trust does not have a down side. Fight the misinformation! This is the best idea I've heard today. (Mind you, I spent the first half at the dentist.)
kreb wrote: Well good for you. My light for Obama has dimmed considerably, but the "derangement syndrome" is in full swing. Do these mouth breathers realize that the Volt was well through the development process when Bush was still in office? It's sad. I actually endured a pained rant where a motorhead aquaintance's daughter was killed in a collision in her Smart Car. The father was convinced that she wouldn't have been driving it if Obama hadn't pushed cars like that on us. So give us the unvarnished truth. Let the chips fall where they may.
Given that everyone here knows I am quite Anti Obama, I find the trash about GM and this car pretty appalling. I agree, Kreb. Obama had nothing to do with this or many of the green tax credits that cars like this take advantage of. The Volt hasn't been known to catch fire, and does actually do equal or better to the ratings in terms of gas mileage and electricity driven miles per some independent sources.
I'd looking forward to hearing updates, JG, thanks for doing this. It's a very interesting car.
I'll say this. I have NO interest in reading yet another Volt review, long-term or not....in any other magazine. I trust you guys will tell it like it be.
That being said, it would be boring. Do something to make it a more entertaining ride. Are there springs and roll bars that you can put under it, make a header for it, do something to it other than drive it.
JG Pasterjak wrote: I'm not sure the entire point is to answer whether or not we can make a Volt faster, but to explore what alternative drivetrains mean to the future of high-performance, and how performance and economy will or won't coexist in this brave new world.
...and how exactly can you "explore what alternative drivetrains mean to the future of high-performance" if you don't "answer whether or not we can make the Volt faster"?
Seriously, we don't want GRM to give us some watered down "what alternative drivetrains mean" article. Leave that to MotorTrend. Void the warranty hopping it up. tell us exactly how to remove the 100 mph speed governor from the thing.
If changing the spring rates, adding a stiffer bar, and giving it better tires can shave a few seconds off of a volt's time, we know that the car responds normally, despite the new-fangled drive train. Maybe the big battery pack requires more extreme spring changes than we're used to in a normal car.....explore that, and let us know about it. That's the sort of detail we want.
After modding the chassis, start messing with the drive train. Tell us if the voltage controller is programmable, and if it can handle more than the factory settings. If it can, how much benefit do you see in the 1/4 mile?
I'm all for it JG. I bought a Mazdaspeed3 after reading this magazine's review of one. I can't promise I'll buy a Volt but I can say that I look forward to an unbiased review.
I'll also say that since you get to drive quite a few fine cars to have this one turn your head speaks volumes to me.
A friend recently bought a Leaf and he loves it. I hope your experience is as enjoyable.
Gas savings is not a motorsport? Horse-E36 M3. Anything that has to do with performance is a motorsport whether that performance is acceleration, grip, or mpg.
Oh, and if the guy bad-mouthing the Volt understood what a kilowatt was, then he would understand that it takes a LOT less to charge that car than to fill a car with gas.
JoeyM wrote:JG Pasterjak wrote: I'm not sure the entire point is to answer whether or not we can make a Volt faster, but to explore what alternative drivetrains mean to the future of high-performance, and how performance and economy will or won't coexist in this brave new world.-and how exactly can you "explore what alternative drivetrains mean to the future of high-performance" if you don't "answer whether or not we can make the Volt faster"? If changing the spring rates, adding a stiffer bar, and giving it better tires can shave a few seconds off of a volt's time, we know that the car responds normally, despite the new-fangled drive train. Maybe the big battery pack requires more extreme spring changes than we're used to in a normal car.....explore that, and let us know about it. That's the sort of detail we want. After modding the chassis, start messing with the drive train. Tell us if the voltage controller is programmable, and if it can handle more than the factory settings. If it can, how much benefit do you see in the 1/4 mile? Seriously, we don't want GRM to give us some watered down "what alternative drivetrains mean" article. Leave that to MotorTrend. Void the warranty hopping it up. tell us exactly how to remove the 100 mph speed governor from the thing.
Dude, I'm already doing the math on coil-over rates and looking into ECU tuning options. I'm just thinking there will be a little bigger picture than just one car. I'd really like to talk to some of these guys who are doing crazy, hand-wound motors in Insights. I'd also like to attend a hypermiling event. My guess is that it will be a lot like most autocrosses, just with more hackysack. I think pretty much anyone that "competes" with a car shares a lot of genes.
jg
tuna55 wrote: Oh, and if the guy bad-mouthing the Volt understood what a kilowatt was, then he would understand that it takes a LOT less to charge that car than to fill a car with gas.
His source was Fox Business reporter Eric Bolling's claim that a kWh of juice cost $1.16. It was a claim that was blatantly wrong (by an entire decimal point) and one that, to my knowledge, Fox never issued a correction for.
jg
Ever hear of the "Index of Efficiency" at Le Mans? Can't say that's not a motorsports event 
Good on ya, JG. Let us know what it's like. I don't expect to see you messing with the Volt's volts to hot rod it any more than you guys hot rod the Ridgeline. Car guys need real cars too. And the Volt makes a lot more sense to me than a Leaf, as you've always got that gas option.
For fun, look at the Lohner-Porsche from the beginning of the 20th century. Everything old is new again...
But I'll bet it would be an interesting comparison article to another economy car in your garage. Let's see a comparo to the Innocenti!
JG Pasterjak wrote: Dude, I'm already doing the math on coil-over rates and looking into ECU tuning options.
Good! This is what I expect from GRM.
JG Pasterjak wrote: I'd really like to talk to some of these guys who are doing crazy, hand-wound motors in Insights.
I didn't know guys were doing that, but it makes perfect sense. I know that back when my dad used to race slot cars, they wound their own motors with thinner wire (more windings) to make them faster.
*Interesting aside: I once told a physics prof about NEDRA guys using custom wound motors. He told me that this could not be accurate, that a thinner wire with more windings would have a much higher resistance, and thus the motor would have less power. I smiled politely and nodded, aware the entire time that he was wrong....yes, the increased drag exists, but it pales in comparison to what the stronger magnetic field can do for you. This is why GRM needs to actually test stuff....I want real data, not speculation by someone who hasn't ever put hands on the cars in question.
JG Pasterjak wrote: I think pretty much anyone that "competes" with a car shares a lot of genes.
I suspect this is true.
irish44j wrote:
But... what if you want to do motorsports and use as little fuel as you can? Why do I have to pick an extreme? Kinda like saying "if you really want to go fast, you wouldn't bother with a Miata." Well, maybe. But they're still a lot of fun. No one can argue that a Miata is the extreme of anything. It's not the fastest car in a straight line. Not the fastest car in a corner. Not the best looking, lightest, or most practical. But they sure are popular around here. It's all about what compromises you're willing to make. Why should this be any different?
JG Pasterjak wrote: I plan on running at the Sebring PDX in late July. I have no idea whether it will be fun, or the car will go into HAL9000 mode or what. I just know I'm gonna need a looooooong extension cord.
Cool! It will be great to see what you think. I think the car is probably a bit dense (literally...heavy for it's size) but it would be really interesting to see how it does with some extended sporty driving and to see how performance compares in EV and EREV modes. As mentioned earlier, it would also be cool to see how it responds to the typical suspension/tire/wheel type stuff. Heck, I bet if you make a few calls to the right GM people, you'd even be able to hear it from the horse's mouth if they've got any sporting recommendations. I know most mainstream hybrids are hacked to squeeze more out of the EV side (usually for hypermiling, but sometimes for racing) so there's hope for the Volt as well.
Bryce
A brief search makes it look like nobody has taken a volt to Targa Newfoundland. I would quite enjoy a series of articles about prepping and driving a volt in something like that. Drive to Newfoundland, race, drive back, record mileage. Just putting it out there........
mazdeuce wrote: A brief search makes it look like nobody has taken a volt to Targa Newfoundland. I would quite enjoy a series of articles about prepping and driving a volt in something like that. Drive to Newfoundland, race, drive back, record mileage. Just putting it out there........
The most reasonable idea yet. I think a road trip is in order!
I'm interested to see a real-world perspective on this one. I have a brutal 75 mile round-trip commute, and there's one 12 mile stretch that's all stop and go traffic (both ways). I've run the numbers, and financially the vehicle that makes the most sense is a used Prius. I'm thinking about a Prius (or something similar) as my next car, so I'm curious what can be done to make a fuel-efficient car more fun to drive.
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